We weren't planning on viewing Ted Kennedy's funeral procession through DC.  Actually, we had come into the city to visit the National Aquarium for Keegan's birthday.  We didn't even realize that there was going to be a procession until we happened upon an article about it in the newspaper.  The senator was a pretty amazing man, and he did a lot for the people of this country.  We decided to go.

The flags.

Everywhere you looked in the city, you saw the flags.  As you can figure, DC is a pretty patriotic place.  There are flags everywhere.  And everywhere you looked you saw each of them lowered to half mast.

A little after 4 o'clock, we began to make our way from the museums to the Capital.  It was hot and humid, not the overcast skies that were in the forecast.  Keegan was not a happy camper.  He's heard of the Kennedys and knew that one was a president, but that was about it.  We explained to him that Ted Kennedy was the president's brother and that he was a senator.  We told him that he was a man that tried to help people, so he was a good man.  We told him that this man had died and people were gathering to see his casket go past so that they could honor and thank him for all that he had done.  He didn't get all of that (he's just turned 7), but hopefully sometime in the future he will be glad that he was part of it.

We stood on the curb on Constitution Avenue and watched as the police cars stopped traffic for a motorcade.  It happened very quickly.  Several charter buses came flying around the corner and were gone in an instant.  I'm going to guess that they were family members arriving in the city.  A policeman told the crowd that it would be at least another hour or so before the actual procession went past.  We decided to walk around the Capital building and take a metro over to Arlington.

The signs. 

Along with the flags, there were signs.  At the Capital, in Arlington...there were signs.  Some were in protest (go figure, a funeral procession is the perfect time to protest...).  Most were made in thanks.

And we gathered...

and waited.

It was hot.  The 7 year-old was whining.  But it felt right to stay.  We found a spot on the bridge over the highway.

...and we waited.

Eventually, something happened.

It was a motorcade of black SUVs.  And we were told to back off of the street.  That was it for a while.

And then it came.  It was well after 7 by then, but again, it felt right to be there.  People stood up and cheered (and took pictures and videos), and it was good.

The man above stuck with me the most.  As the procession went by, the family members waved at everyone that had gathered.  He seemed very moved and repeated, "Thank you...thank you..." in a very genuine way.  It's hard to explain, but it truly touched me.

And then it was over.

I am proud to say I was able to take part.